Once again, Between Homes residents Karinna Praga and Teressa "Tess" Adamski starred in another production by Second Life's Little Princess Ballet Academy (LPBA). This year Halloween came early to SL as LPBA staged a production of their Halloween Ballet.
Here are some scenes from the ballet:
(Please click on picture for a LARGER image.)
First row (by the fountain), second from left - Tess Adamski First row (by the fountain), third from left - Karinna Praga
Top row, with black hat, first from the left - Karinna Praga Bottom row, second from the left - Tess Adamski
The Halloween ballet was produced, directed and staged by Guy Wardell. He and the entire company did a great job. Bravo! Bravissimo!
If you get a chance, contact Tess, Karinna and Guy and congratulate them for another standout performance!
For the last few weeks, the world has watched as French workers, opposed to President Sarkozy’s proposed austerity measures, including the raising of the retirement age from 60 to 62, have taken to the streets in protest. Some of the protests have been rather violent, leaving large sectors of the French population in a state of paralysis.
The widespread strikes, over something as seemingly trivial as raising the retirement age from 60 (already the lowest in the industrialized world) to 62, have caused people in other nations to ask:
Are the French workers lazy? Are the French people strike-happy? Is the French economy going to collapse?
Well, it is now time to debunk the myth of the “lazy” French worker!
Please read below for some general facts about the French economy, French workers and France in general. These facts may surprise you.
Strikes: The world leader in days lost in strikes in 2009 was … Canada. Its score was 2.2 million, according to the UK journal The Economist. Next, came South Africa with 1.5 million. France came third with 1.4 million. France comes top of the European league table for the period 2005-2009, according to the European Foundation for the improvement of Living and Working Conditions. But in 2008 its efforts were dwarfed by Denmark, thanks to a strike wave, one of whose demands was a 35-hour working week. The damage to the economy is not as high as might be expected, judging by statistics from 2005 when a three-week strike cut 0.05 of a point from the growth rate, according to the Finance Ministry.
In typical French fasion, two young lovers kiss on the streets, while riot police look on.
Photo copyrighted by Reuters. All rights reserved by the copyright holder(s). Photo used here only for illustrative purposes only. No commercial use is intended, either explicitedly or impliedly.
Hours worked: French workers work an average of 1,453 hours a year, well below the OECD group of developed nations' average of just over 1,700 hours a year but above Germany and Norway (1,337), Sweden (1316) and the Netherlands (1309). South Koreans work the longest hours in the OECD at 2,390 per year.
Retirement: At present French women can retire at the same age as women in Italy, South Korea, Hungary, the UK, Greece and Poland but earlier than Turks and Czechs. Men have the lowest minimum retirement age in the OECD. The government's proposals will bring them in line with Czechs and Hungarians and raise the age that retirees can claim the full pension to 67, provided they have paid over 40 years of contributions.
GDP: France’s Gross Domestic Product has doubled in the last 20 years. It was over 2000 billion Euros in 2009, according to the IMF and the World Bank. That puts it fifth in the world league table, behind the US, Japan, China and Germany and just ahead of the UK. Over the same period, there has been a 10 per cent shift of the share of GDP from salaries to profits.
Productivity: French workers’ productivity has risen five times since 1960. Although it has fallen slightly over the last two years thanks to the recession, it is expected to double again over the next 20 years. GDP per hour worked is lower than in the US and Ireland but higher than in many countries, including the UK, Germany and Japan.
Debt: France has the sixth highest public deficit in Europe in percentage terms, at 8.2 per cent. The US’s deficit reached 12.5 per cent in 2009. The debt of French households was 89.1 per cent of income in 2006, according to the OECD. In Britain and the United States that ratio stood at 168.5 percent and 139.7 percent respectively.
Unemployment: French unemployment stands at 10 per cent, the average for the Eurozone. As in other industrialized countries, the figure has been pushed up by the recession but was already relatively high at 8.2 per cent in 2001. US unemployment stood at 9.6 per cent in June 2010.
So next time that you may tempted to refer to the French worker as a "lazy slacker" and France as a "lazy" country with a stagnant economy, be sure to refer to the facts listed above.
Two of our very own Between Homes residents, Teressa "Tess" Adamski and Karinna Praga recently starred in "The Sleeping Beauty" ballet. The ballet was presented, over a span of four weeks, by the Little Princess Ballet Academy.
Both Tess and Karinna spent long hours in rehearsals, getting ready for their performances. The ballet was directed by prima ballerina Miss Kaysie Knoller. Several BH residents, including Brea Zadark, Xanadu Dominquez and yours truly, attended the ballet.
All the dancers worked very hard and turned out great performances. Please take a minute to congratulate Tess and Karinna on a well done job!
And be sure to also drop Miss Knoller a note and let her know that you appreciate her efforts to bring a measure of entertainment and culture into the SL experience. It is heartwarming to see someone spend so much time and energy to bring quality entertainment to SL residents. Thanks Kaysie!
Kudos all around...bravo, bravissimo!!!
Second Life: The Sleeping Beauty by Little Princess Ballet Academy
Yesterday I went for a bike ride after work. It was a short ride, only 20 miles. Now that the sun is setting earlier and earlier, the hours of daylight are becoming scarcer by the minute.
We have been having some crazy weather in Southern California. On Monday, temperatures reached in excess of 104 F (40 C) in normally cool Ventura. The on Tuesday, we were treated to one of Nature’s finest shows as thunder and lightning pounded the region on the hours right before sunset.
In the aftermath of Nature’s recent crazy behavior, we have been left with weather conditions that give rise to strong afternoon onshore winds. Yesterday, during my bike ride, the winds were blowing at a steady 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour) with gusts in excess of 15 mph (24 kph).
Riding against a strong headwind is never easy. Like mountain climbing, a steady headwind can zap a rider of energy as she fights to keep the bike moving forward. Normally, riders on a road bike can take advantage of the road bike’s many aerodynamic features, including a smaller profile (to face the wind) and much lighter weight. I, however, was riding my mountain bike. As much as I love my ‘Dale (Cannondale) mountain bike, that beast has to be one of the least aerodynamic two-wheeler in existence. On top of that, my ‘Dale weighs nearly a ton (well I exaggerate a tad here). Whereas my light weight road bike feels like an Italian race car, the ‘Dale feels like a Mack truck.
During the last ten miles (16 km) of the ride, the wind just kept pounding me. To make it harder, it was getting darker as the sun was making its final descent into the Pacific Ocean. To keep me inspired (and moving) I “played” Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” in my head. Bob’s beautiful voice and haunting lyrics were just the inspiration I need to hammer my way back to my car.
When I finally ended my ride, I was treated to the sights of yet another spectacular sun set. Watching the sun setting against a background of a dark ocean and fiery clouds made me forget all the wind-fighting, sweat and effort that took to finish the ride.
Here, for your listening and viewing pleasure, Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” and a few images of a California sunset.
Autumn is almost here (September 23rd is officially the first day of Autumn). With Autumn comes cooler temperatures, shorter days and a hint of Winter (yes even here in Southern California we do have a Winter, of sorts).
One of the benefits of riding my bike by the ocean is that I often have the opportunity to witness some rather spectacular sunsets. With the approaching of Autumn, however, the sun now sets rather quickly. The slow, lingering sunsets of Summer are gone—at least until next year.
I took the first photo in the sequence below at 7:03 p.m. By the time that I snapped the last photo, less than three full minutes had elapsed.
Join me now in watching old “Sol” set over my beloved Pacific Ocean.
Love songs take many forms, from romantic adult ballads to sirupy teeny-bopper tunes.
The following song, "Taxi," from American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin tells the story of Harry, a cab driver in San Francisco. On a rainy night he picks up a woman, his last fare for the night. Harry finds the woman familiar at first, but she doesn't seem to recognize him until after she looks at him in the rear-view mirror and at his license. It is then revealed that she is Sue, Harry's old lover.
In flashback, Harry remembers how he "used to take her home in [his] car" and also how they "learned about love in the back of a Dodge." Sue had wanted to be an actress, while Harry was going to learn to fly. Their relationship ended when Sue "took off to find the footlights" and Harry "took off to find the sky."
For everyone who has loved and lost, here is Chapin’s “Taxi.”
Enjoy!
HARRY CHAPIN – Taxi (video)
HARRY CHAPIN – Taxi (lyrics)
It was raining hard in 'Frisco, I needed one more fare to make my night. A lady up ahead waved to flag me down, She got in at the light.
Oh, where you going to, my lady blue, It's a shame you ruined your gown in the rain. She just looked out the window, and said "Sixteen Parkside Lane."
Something about her was familiar I could swear I'd seen her face before, But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken" And she didn't say anything more.
It took a while, but she looked in the mirror, And she glanced at the license for my name. A smile seemed to come to her slowly, It was a sad smile, just the same.
And she said, "How are you Harry?" I said, "How are you Sue? Through the too many miles and the too little smiles I still remember you."
It was somewhere in a fairy tale, I used to take her home in my car. We learned about love in the back of the Dodge, The lesson hadn't gone too far.
You see, she was gonna be an actress, And I was gonna learn to fly. She took off to find the footlights, And I took off to find the sky.
Oh, I've got something inside me, To drive a princess blind. There's a wild man, wizard, He's hiding in me, illuminating my mind.
Oh, I've got something inside me, Not what my life's about, Cause I've been letting my outside tide me, Over 'till my time, runs out.
Baby's so high that she's skying, Yes she's flying, afraid to fall. I'll tell you why baby's crying, Cause she's dying, aren't we all.
There was not much more for us to talk about, Whatever we had once was gone. So I turned my cab into the driveway, Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns.
And she said we must get together, But I knew it'd never be arranged. And she handed me twenty dollars, For a two fifty fare, she said "Harry, keep the change."
Well another man might have been angry, And another man might have been hurt, But another man never would have let her go... I stashed the bill in my shirt.
And she walked away in silence, It's strange, how you never know, But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for, Such a long, long time ago.
You see, she was gonna be an actress And I was gonna learn to fly. She took off to find the footlights, And I took off for the sky.
And here, she's acting happy, Inside her handsome home. And me, I'm flying in my taxi, Taking tips, and getting stoned, I go flying so high, when I'm stoned.
NOTE: Harry Chapin, (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter best known for his folk rock songs including the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle.” Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.
Serious bike riders are an obsessive bunch. On weekend days, we (and yes, I do include myself in the “obsessive bunch” group) wake up at the crack of dawn, jump on the bike and then head down the road, listening to the sweet music of the bike’s wheels rolling over the pavement as the miles roll by. During the week, we sit in our offices staring out of a window, daydreaming about our next epic ride. When we have some free time, we clean and adjust every gear and component.
Sometimes, we may even sit on the front of the television and we watch movies about bike riding.
PEE WEE’s BIG ADVENTURE
Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the greatest movie ever made about cycling is a wildly creative, idiosyncratic masterpiece. The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman, a childlike adult who loves his bicycle more than anything else. After his bike is stolen, he must embark on a nation-wide adventure to search for his bike. The movie, which turns 25 in 2010, was directed by Tim Burton, written by Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman and Michael Varho; it starred Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman.
BREAKING AWAY
The story about working-class kids, restless in a small college town, is one of the best cycling films ever made. It is also one of the best films ever made, period! It won the 1980 Academy Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated for four other awards. In 2006, the American Film Institute (AFI) listed Breaking Away as #8 on the List of America's 100 Most Inspiring Movies. In June 2008, AFI announced its "Ten Top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—Breaking Away was acknowledged as the #8 best film in the sports genre.
TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
The Triplets of Belleville (Les Triplettes de Belleville) is a Canadian/French/British/Belgian 2003 animated surreal adventure film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. The story focuses on Madame Souza, an elderly woman raising her young grandson, Champion. Souza notices her grandson is sad and lonely so she buys him a puppy named Bruno to cheer him up. Although he was initially happy, he quickly becomes melancholy once again. After discovering that Champion has a keen interest in road bicycle racing, Souza buys Champion a tricycle. Eventually, Champion enters the Tour de France but during the race, he and two other riders are kidnapped by two French mafia henchmen and brought to the bustling metropolis of Belleville, somewhere in North America. The movie is absurdly bizarre (well, what can you expect when you mix Canadian-French-British-Belgian elements and throw them together in one animated film)…it is also a sweet and stunning homage to Fausto Coppi.
(NOTE: Angelo Fausto Coppi was an Italian bike champion, born on September 15, 1919. Coppi was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions. He was an all-round racing cyclist: he excelled in both climbing and time trialing, and was also a great sprinter. He won the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953), the Tour de France twice (1949 and 1952), and the World Championship in 1953. Other notable results include winning the Giro di Lombardia five times and the Milan – San Remo three times. Coppi also had wins at Paris–Roubaix and La Flèche Wallonne, where he set the hour record (45.798 km) in 1942.)
AMERICAN FLYERS
Kevin Costner’s enormous moustache is hard to ignore…but Rae-Dawn Chong’s wheel change is the real stunner in this fun story of two brothers who tackle the Hell of the West through the Rockies. Some of the details are ludicrous—the way the Russian bike riders bob and weave as they attack—but as celebration of the 1980s American cycling scene, with appearances by the 7-Eleven Team and the gone-but-missed Coors Classic, it deserves a place as a bicycling movie classic.
THE BICYCLE THIEF
Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette, also known as The Bicycle Thief) is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor father and his son searching the streets of Rome for the father’s stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The movie is a bleak but truthful story of survival; it is also a rebuke to Hollywood’s slickness. The Bicycle Thief ushered in a new era of cinematic realism and is routinely listed as one of the greatest films of all time.
A SUNDAY IN HELL (long version)
If you have ever struggled to explain the consuming passion of bike racing to non-riders, refer them to this film instead. A chronicle of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix race—with riders like Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck and Francesco Moser—it’s a transporting documentary that drops you into the cobblestone dust, soaks you in sweat and idolizes all the suffering in one of the world’s greatest one-day race.
STARS AND WATER CARRIERS
A film about the 1973 Giro d’Italia, directed by Jurgen Leth, who also directed A Sunday in Hell. Leth's commentary is perhaps some of the most passionate and descriptive commentary on cycling to be found anywhere. Failed breakaways are referred to as "a beautiful waste of energy.” Leth is a great film maker not a former cyclist; his time trial commentary is arguably the most insightful and artistic narrative of athlete and machine yet written on bike racing--indeed "Pain is an Icon.”
Now, get off your computers, go get your bike, clean it up and take it for a long spin down the road.
